Disclaimer: Don't own TF: Prime, just a love for big trucks.
Review please? Oh, and from this point on it's basically AU, not going to keep with the Season Three Beast Hunter episodes...little hard to convert if Prime is "off active duty" in my fic versus the show...
Chapter Five
A Knock Out Shot
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Megatron wasn't very happy with his only medic right at that moment...not only had he gone behind the Decepticon Lord's back and outright lied...but he'd been with Megatron's arch nemesis...Optimus Prime.
The masssive Con growled, shifting his crossed arms slightly as he watched Starscream torture the medic for information. The medic had been at the Autobot's base and hadn't found a thing of value...Megatron was fragging sure that was a lie.
Knock Out screamed as Starscream's claws raked down his already ruined abdominal panels, the medic had started trembling an hour ago, and now was beginning to lose consciousness again.
Megatron shifted, pressing the intercom button to the interrogation chamber, "Starscream, administer another hydroenergon dose, I want Knock Out online as long as possible...even after he's given up the information I require."
"Of Course, I shall do so at once Lord Megatron."
The Con rolled his optics, but smirked as Starscream jabbed the needle into the former medic's abdomen. Knock Out yelped loudly, hissing in pain as his optics fizzed out with a harsh electrical snap.
Starcream merely shrugged in response, taking a sparking energon prod and poking at the other mech's helm until the pair of scarlet optics came back online.
"Cough of the data you worthless glitch!"
Knock Out shook his helm, choking on the energon beginning to rise in his pipes, he tilted his head just enough to cough up the energon onto Starscream's frame, grinning a little at the obnoxious shrieking the Seeker emitted.
"N-never-r..."
Starscream turned to glance at Megatron through the glass, awaiting directions. Megatron waved a servo, giving Starscream free reign for a few moments while he examined Knock Out's full pre-interrogation exam.
Other than the ground bridge radiation, everything seemed normal...his engines had been running fast-oh well...but he'd been administered some form of stimulant...
Wait...Megatron typed in his all access codes, pulling up Soundwave's results, the stimulant...used for reproductive purposes...the data was clicking together...
The ex-gladiator turned back to the viewing window as Starscream laughed psychotically, through out his torturing Knock Out hadn't responded to any of his verbal insults, resulting in a cranky Seeker, "Give it up you fragger! No one is coming to help you! This is will all be over as soon as you give up that intel...and then Optimus Prime and his Autobots will be destroyed!"
Knock Out reacted that time, a barely noticeable flinch when Prime was mentioned.
Megatron smiled.
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Rockland, Maine, USA
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It wasn't that Griffin Rock didn't have decent roads, it was just the fact that Optimus' alt form didn't blend in worth a slag. Rockland has just small enough that once he'd hit the back highways, Optimus was basically off the map as he drove around.
If Ratchet had been paying attention, he could have bridged Optimus back right then and there, luckily the medic wasn't. Prime needed the time alone.
Not that he'd been alone in the bunker, the others gave him a great deal of space as he withdrew into himself, rarely speaking to him at all. Even Bumblebee was letting him remain sullen and withdrawn.
A soft sigh slid from the massive army vehicle as it cruised, followed by an uneasy hitch in the engine's rumble. Optimus pulled into an off the road camp grounds, parking at an isolated spot and transforming.
A servo immediately went to his mouth plates as he gagged, fighting against his nauseous tank to keep the needed energon down, he was just so exhausted...
His systems didn't have time to decide whether to force the now churning tanks to accept the fuel, or to expel it.
Optimus was blown several feet into the air before landing painfully on his front twenty yards away from his original position.
The Prime groaned in pain, twisting so a servo could press against his abdominal plated to check the sparkling. Something large and heavy came closer before a pede kicked his side, sending him tumbling down a hill to land in a cold and wet marsh on his back plates.
Megatron's sneer did nothing to minimize the dread the sound of his chuckling wrought on Prime's spark. The Deception shifted to kneel on the Prime, one leg on either side as he leaned over a bit.
"Well-well-well...what a surprise..."
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Autobot Hangar E, Military Base Fort Roosevelt
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Ratchet's con scannings picked up Megatron's position half a second before the comm link blared, the message originating from Griffin Rock.
The fact that the image from the Maine island showed one Rescue Bot waiting to speak and the other three restraining Bumblebee in the background only made the situation worse.
The medic yelled for Ultra Magnus to get his aft in gear, shouting for Raf to take the gorund bridge as it activated on its own, Chase having inserted Prime's access code. The Rescue Bots stopped directly in front of Magnus, awaiting orders as the Mack truck glanced over the gathered Bots.
"Let's move!"
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The four rescue bots and seven autobots fell right into an ambush, none of them able to get anywhere near Prime who lay half submerged in marsh, Megatron had yet to actually injure the Prime, but his verbal attacks were beginning to wear down Prime's already feeble shell.
Megatron smirked as he quickly grabbed both of Prime's wrists in one servo, pinning them well above the mech's helm as the other traced the deadly claws down Prime's plates, enjoying the weak shudder the autobot released.
Until they reached his abdominal plating, and the sharp digits felt the faint tremor of energy that wasn't the Prime's spark...
The con froze for a split second before tipping his helm back and roaring in laughter, startling bother his troops and the Bots.
"Well-well, looks like someone's been a bit busy; haven't you Prime...you're sparked! And doing rather well I might add..."
Optimus followed Megatron's gaze to his abdomen, gasping for air even more frantically as he saw the now rather noticeable swell in his plating, he hadn't taken the time before to see it, but sprawled out on the ground it was definitely visible.
"Oh...no..."
Megatron continued to chuckle as he ran his claws down the swell slowly, savoring the shiver that wracked Prime's frame as he struggled to get free from beneath the war lord.
"Don't fight me Prime...I've already offlined the sparkling's Sire, don't make me do the same to its carrier."
Optimus froze, and not just from the cold muck seeping into his every joint and gap in his plating...Knock Out...Dead?
Megatron transformed his free servo to a blade, a deadly smile on his face plates as he began to lower his arm...
And an arrow lodged in his elbow.
The Con snarled as he stood abruptly, using Optimus as leverage, the sudden pressure forced the air from his intakes and made the Prime wheeze.
"Who dares to shoot upon me?"
A second arrow joined the first before a sarcastic voice followed it.
"I did!"
The voice was human, a female, and while Prime couldn't see her, he could tell she was either really stupid...or had a plan...
"You! You worthless little scrap of flesh! How dare you?!"
The female sniggered, her voice moving as she must have dodged another con's actions.
"I dare cuz I care! Anyway, why don't you and I-AAAH!"
Starscream chuckled as he hoisted the bow and quiver toting human into the air, allowing Optimus to see her, dressed in hiking boots, cargo pants, a jacket and a human bullet proof vest, she looked like a government agent. A rather young one...her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail as she gripped her bow knuckle white tight.
"Any last words human?"
"Yeah..hey Megsy!"
Megatron snarled as he turned to her, glaring as she smirked and lined up another arrow, this one with a rather awkward head.
"Let's Tango."
The arrow loosed and hit Megatron's right knee, exploding on impact and sending the con to his knees. Something flame colored and fast hit Starscream, making him drop the human, another something colored black and white snatched her mid fall to only drop her again, only this time she was close enough to the ground to just roll to her feet.
"Hey Steph! The new bolts work!"
A high pitched shriek of delight preceded several pairs of running legs joining the fight, all of it dimmed by the charging of something sounding like a fighter jet engine.
Megatron struggled to stand once more, readying to stab Optimus through with his blade and terminate at least the sparkling if not both of them...
"One shall rise...One shall-"
whhhhhhhrrrrrr-BOOM!
The blast sent Megatron sprawling, the con snapping with electricity and plasma that now coated most of his front plates.
The first human femme laughed outright before sending another exploding arrow into one of Starscream's joints when the mech froze upon seeing the origin of the blast.
A large, and rather intimidating cannon blast...
And the cannon's owner had more just like it...
"Ya better run Starscream..."
Optimus shuttered his optics in relief at the gruff voice, not even trying to waste his nonexistent strength to see the Autobot weapon specialist as Ironhide moved closer. The black mech grunted softly as he adjusted his beloved cannons, firing off another huge blast into a group of vehicons coming at him.
"Heh...fraggers..."
Prime groaned as he tried to stand, or at least sit up, his tanks were beginning to complain again, and his core temp was dropping rapidly.
"Prime! Get Down!"
The black and white something pushed him down, shielding him as a flame thrower went off, the torrent of fire going right over the two and brushing the others door wings.
"Prowl?"
"Good to see you Sir."
Optimus nodded to the tactician as Prowl jumped to his feet and charged after Shockwave, grabbing the scientist's ankles as he dove to knock the con over.
Ironhide switched to his other cannon, this time the ammunition rounds were grenades, and they stuck to whatever they hit before detonating.
Needless to say the trigger happy mech was having fun firing them off.
Prime managed to roll onto his side before his body decided it had had enough, he gagged violently, not seeing Ironhide coat Soundwave with the grenades after punching the con out cold.
The weapon specialist chuckled to himself as he rushed to Prime's side, pulling the mech to his feet and threw one of Optimus' arms over his shoulders while his other servo undid the cap and pin on...
"I th-thought-t-t...R-red al-lert-t...con-confis-confisced...*groan*..."
Ironhide sniggered as he lobbed the bomb over his shoulder, hiking Prime's arm over his shoulders further as Wheeljack stared yelling "move-move" as loud as he could.
"Not all of 'em. Just a bit further Prahm...I'll getcha outta this."
Optimus groaned again, this time his legs gave out as he outright purged his tanks, coating Ironhide's side as he collapsed.
The mech didn't flinch, merely supported Optimus while he finished, counting out loud to himself as Ratchet and Heatwave stopped next to him.
"Ironhide! By Primus am I glad to see you!"
"Aw shit! 'Hide! That bomb's gonna blow in a minute!"
Optimus blinked slowly at the arrow shooting human as she stopped in front of the weapon specialist.
"Is not, I timed it ta go off in five!"
"Yeah well, Steph's packin' her homemade pipe bomb and just chucked the damn thing next to yours! It's gonna blow any second now!"
Ironhide swore roughly, growling as he adjusted his hold on Prime to pick up the human and hand her to Heatwave, snatching the cackling Stephanie and literally tossing her to Ratchet.
"Ironhide! What are you doing?!"
"Savin' our afts! Now Run!"
The black mech gave up on supporting Optimus, outright hauling the mech up to hang off his shoulders in a fireman's carry, Ironhide wasn't known for his speed, but when he told you to run...
You ran like Unicron himself was chasing you and didn't ask any questions.
The explosion still rocked them, sending Ironhide and Optimus rolling across the ground and into trees, Heatwave and Ratchet weren't much better, tumbling just ahead of them and coming to a stop when Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack stopped them.
Rocks jutting out from the hill stopped Ironhide, enabling him to brace his legs and grab Prime as the mech slid past him, heaivng for air desperately as he clutched his abdomen.
"Easy Prahm...just breathe for me...yer alright..."
Optimus slowed his breathing marginally, shifting to use his legs to push himself up to where Ironhide was crouched on the rocks, bracing his legs to keep from sliding again.
"Well now, not lookin' too bad after tumblin' down a hill Prahm, no leaks, a few dents and scratches, pretty damn lucky I'd say..."
"N-no...s-spa-spark-ling..."
Ironhide nodded, easing Prime back to lay against the hill as he checked over the abdominal plates, systems activating scanners he rarely used.
Optimus was trembling slightly as the weapon specialist examined him, servos never leaving his shoulder and arm in faint comfort.
"Little one 's alright as far as I can tell Prahm, Ratchet's gonna need ta check on a couple a loose tubes but nothin's screamin' wrong ta me."
Prime nodded once, closing his optics to combat the dizziness threatening to take over his processor. Ironhide stayed next to him, still and silent as he waited for Optimus to recover enough to move.
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Optimus seriously needed to have a talk with Ultra Magnus about giving Wheeljack his own space, the two were going at it like "an old married couple" as June Darby had said before after seeing a screaming match between the two just before Optimus broke it up.
Ironhide paused in helping Prime to Ratchet, the medic had the arrow shooter on his shoulder as she chatted with Chase, Boulder, and Smokescreen. Heatwave and Bulkhead were trying to restrain Wheeljack from outright tackling the Wrecker Commander. Meanwhile Bumblebee and Arcee were attempting to either distract or calm Ultra Magnus, their attempts falling on deaf audios.
Blades had flown to clear communications range to request a ground bridge, or at least military assistance to clear the forest and the destruction of the battle.
Stephanie, the bomber, on the other hand or servo...was tossing a rock in one hand casually, glaring up at Ultra Magnus with a deadly look in her eyes.
Neither Ironhide nor Ratchet could stop her before she threw the rock.
And nailed Magnus right between the optics.
Wheeljack howled with laughter, falling back against Bulkhead and Heatwave as Magnus shook his head, slightly stunned.
Magnus was two seconds away from either throttling the inventor or outright killing him when Ironhide let go of Optimus, the mech able to support his own frame.
And cold cocked the commander.
...
Ultra Manus went down with a rather impressive thud, completely down for the count.
Ironhide smirked, "That felt good."
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